What to Expect in a Consultation

During a consultation, students will talk with trained writing consultants about course
papers and get useful writing strategies and techniques. Students will also:

• get feedback on their strengths and ideas for improving areas of weakness

• learn efficient revising, editing, and proofreading strategies

• get help with grammar, punctuation, and documentation

 

Writing Center consultants will not simply edit or proofread papers. Instead, our goal is to teach these skills to students
so they can become more efficient and more confident writers.

 

Making an Appointment

The Writing Center operates by appointments. To schedule an appointment, either:

• come into the Writing Center and schedule an appointment at the desk for a later time.

• call the Writing Center at (985) 549-2076.

• schedule an appointment through email at [email protected]. When scheduling an appointment through email, please email us at least two days
  in advance and provide several available times for appointments.

 

Appointments are held in 30 minute sessions. Follow-up sessions are encouraged because
we may not be able to discuss all of the student’s writing concerns in one session.
To prepare for the consultation, students should come with the assignment or a specific
goal in mind.  Students should also bring all materials, such as the assignment sheet
and secondary sources, used in the writing assignment.

 

Preparing for Your Consultation

Here are a few suggestions to help you make the most of your Writing Center conference:

• Plan ahead– Keep in mind your due dates and schedule your visits to allow time for
  revision.

• Set some priorities– Come with a clear agenda. Decide what you want to accomplish
  and what help you want.

• Come equipped and ready to work– Bring a copy of the assignment you are working on,
  any early work you have done, and any comments from your teacher. Be prepared to read
  and talk about what you have written in order to work with Writing Center staff to
  find ways to improve it.

• Be prompt– Be on time for your appointment or show up five minutes early to organize
  your thoughts and materials. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please call
  or email to let us know.

 

 

Standing Appointments

Students can schedule a standing appointment with a Writing Center consultant. Standing
appointments can be bi-weekly, weekly, etc. These appointments can be cancelled at
any time. However, if a student fails to cancel a standing appointment, he or she
will accrue a “No Show” according to our No Show Policy.

 

Cancellation, Tardy, and No Show Policies

• Students who cancel their appointments six hours in advance will not be penalized,
  and they can do so by calling, emailing, or stopping by the Writing Center. However,
  students who fail to cancel their appointment six hours in advance will receive a “Cancellation.”

• If a student is late, he or she will only have the remaining time available in the
  appointment slot.

• If a student is more than 10 minutes late, their appointment will be counted as a
  “No Show” and may be given to a walk-in student. The tardy student must then reschedule
  his or her appointment.

• If a student misses an appointment, it is marked as a “No Show.”

• Once a student accrues any combination of three “No Shows” or “Cancellations” he or
  she may not schedule any more appointments. Rather, he or she will only be allowed
  walk-in consultations based on availability.

 

 NOTE: During times of high traffic (e.g. Midterms and Finals week), Walk-in Consultations
will be limited and may be unavailable.

 

Instructional Sheets and Confidentiality

Consultants keep detailed records of each session so that they can monitor students’
progress and be as helpful as possible during subsequent visits.

 

All consultations are strictly confidential. Consultants can provide information about
the student’s progress to his or her instructor only with the student’s written permission. The
only exceptions are instances of suspected, intentional, plagiarism or other violations
of Southeastern’s Code of Conduct.